NONFICTION

Foodie Detectives: A Bilingual Book in English and Mandarin with Simplified Characters and Pinyin

Bitty Bao. Feb. 2024. 22p. Board $12.99. ISBN 9781958833346. BL.
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PreS-Gr 3–This book is written in pinyin and script in three different ways: Cantonese (separate script and distinct pronunciation), Simplified Mandarin (simplified script and Mandarin dialect used in China, Malaysia, and Singapore) and Traditional Mandarin (traditional script and Mandarin dialect used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau). Here in the United States, the primary script and dialect used depends upon the age of the community and the location of origin. The book is fully bilingual with English, the chosen Chinese script, and the pinyin (Latin alphabet transliteration) for that dialect. In this charming, colorful omnivore food adventure, readers are given a set of three clues in pinyin, written script, and English of a Chinese food to guess what food is being described. The anthropomorphized foods smile and frown in plates, pots, and steamers. The foods picked for this book are commonly eaten dishes in families from the cultures mentioned, such as stinky tofu and chicken feet.
VERDICT For libraries looking for introductions to cuisines also try companion titles It’s Time for Hot Pot.

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